6000A 100-watt Stereo Integrated Amp/Bluetooth DAC - Silver

I bought this amplifier for my home office desktop audiophile system for my PC and Mac. Here is the configuration: 1)Digital Streamer: WiiM Streamer (connected to DAC using optical audio cable). 2)Computer: PC and Mac (connected to DAC using USB audio (midi) cable). 3)DAC: Cambridge Audio DAC Magic 200M (Connected to amplifier using RCA cable) 4)Amplifier: Audiolab 6000a (connected to speakers using banana speaker cables). 5)Speakers: KEF LS50 meta First, let's get the important fact out of the way. If you search through the reviews from professional audio reviewers on the web, then you will find there is a consensus that this amplifier is quite possibly the best amp for around $1000. So this would be one of the top amps you can buy for around $1000. Nonetheless, there is no way this dynamo amplifier can truly compete against the $5000+ amplifiers. Yes, the law of diminishing marginal return applies and a $5000 amp will not sound 5x better. But any discerning ear would more than likely find that $5000 amp would sound significantly better. The more difficult question, in my opinion, is how does this amplifier compare to the ones that cost $2000-$3500 price range? Surprisingly well, but not without shortcomings. Compared to Hegel H120, for example, which costs $3000, this amplifier has slightly more distortion and slightly lacks the sound stage and crystal detailed imaging. The H120 also clearly dominates in volume headroom (which is a weakness for 6000a). Having said this, it is not like H120 is in different stratosphere. You would need to really listen for the differences. This is not a knock on Hegel's superb H120, but really a praise for Audiolab 6000a. I did not use the DAC\bluetooth\headphone portion of 6000a and only used the amplifier portion. As for the sound, there is little distortion and it hits all the notes in all ranges with precision and control. There is also very little sound fatique even at higher volumes. You will get quality music out of this amplifier, but there are better (and far more expensive) amplifiers out there. One of the main reason why I purchased this amplifier is its thin size allows me to stick this amplifier beneath my computer monitor stand (with some room for heat dissipation). It also helps that this amp runs rather cool so I do not have any overheating issues. The main downside of this amplifier for me is its lower volume headroom. In practice, this amplifier can generate enough volume to satisfy me. It also somewhat lacks the reserve power to bring that sudden oomph to the music. But if you want an amplifier that would blow the roof off of your house, then this is not that amplifier. Addendum: I just tested the DAC on this amplifier. Some famous reviewer has said that the DAC on 6000a rivals that of DACMagic 200M. I beg to differ (strongly). Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M is simply superior. It has superior resolution, sound stage, imaging, and tonality. I would go as far as stating that Audiolab 6000a running through its own DAC is not very impressive sounding. BUT, hook it up with a quality external DAC, like I did, and you will notice a huge bump in sound quality. Pros: 1)Best bang for the buck amplifier. One of the best amps for around $1000. 2)Small size (particularly height) allows me to put it under my monitor stand. 3)Wonderful sound with clarity, precision, and sound stage. Very little distortion or sound fatique. People love the sound of my system generated by this amplifier. It is impressive. 4)It runs cool in major part because it only outputs 50W per channel. Cons: 1)Volume headroom is merely sufficient. At 50W per channel, this amplifier will not test the decimal limits of your speakers. 2)I would pay 50%-100% more for fully integrated system that has more volume headroom, higher quality DAC, and USB audio (midi) connection. But it doesn't so I had to purchase a separate component (the wonderful Cambridge Audio DAC Magic 200M). 3)Addendum: The internal DAC is only OK and the this amplifier sounds rather dull running on its own internal DAC. I would recommend getting a quality $400+ external DAC for this amplifier as a quality external DAC would upgrade the sound immensely.

Great amplifier with beautful sound. I gave 4 stars because the amplifier had an issue on my second day. The sound was louder on one speaker but vey quiet on the other. I wanted to make sure the speakers were ok so I switched the speakers and the loutness also switched side. I wished the remote had specific bottons for different sources so I don't have to use the arrows up/down to find the source. Play-Fi could have more functionalities regarding selecting songs and playlist.

At first I was disappointed like other reviewers have stated. But after letting it break in after a few weeks the sound improved. It improved with every addition that I made to the system. The WIIM mini was an excellent combo with this. The ability to EQ the audio helped a lot. But a new power cord and change in power strip made the unit really sing. Even the upgrade on USB cable to the WIIM power source was beneficial. Later on I might try better power conditioning for further improvement. I tried the phono input and it sounded very good. On par with the Zphono & Schiit Mani. I was very impressed and surprised by the blue tooth connection. A nice convenience to listen to sources not on the WIIM mini. Very happy with this integrated AMP nice to have all my sources controlled on one device. Great build quality and no problems at all.

The amplifier itself is very nice. Smooth sound, kind of neutral. Although it lacks treble and bass controls I never felt like I needed it. Phono stage is above average. Better than in other amps but not quite as good as moderately priced external ones. It's solid and works well. The downfall (IMHO) is the DTS Play app. I don't think it's just with me as I have read other complaints, but when I used Amazon music in the DTS play app, it was basically unusable. I would search for a song and press Play and it usually took 2 minutes for the song to play. Go to the next song, same scenario. Brutal. Very frustrating and annoying. And I used an Ethernet connection. Also, if you didn't feel like using the streaming part of the amp and didn't want to connect it via Ethernet or WiFi and just want to use this as an integrated amp, the LED light on the amp's front panel would constantly blink. I could not figure out how to disable WiFi or Ethernet. It's like it forces you to connect to the Internet whether you want to or not. I liked the amp a lot for the sound and the phono stage, the DAC, etc so I ended up just buying the 6000A not the 6000A Play.

This is a great amplifier. Like the other reviews, I am forgiving the horrible remote control design. I am not a big user of remote controls - I don't typically find much need to use them and this unit sits on my server rack with the other audio equipment. I use digital audio out from my computer to this amp for listening to lossless audio files. I can control volume just fine from my computer. The amplifier produces plenty of power for my two KEF Q350 bookshelf speakers. Sound is amazing. It really completes the equation - high-quality sound to high-quality bookshelf speakers for dedicated stereo music listening. I also like the size of this unit and its simplicity. I needed something sort of thin to fit into the diminishing space I have on my rack. This unit fit the bill. I am very satisfied and would happily recommend it for similar setups.

The knobs feel expensive and the remote is straightforward and easy to operate. On the plus side: 1. The build quality 2. Fantastic sound 3. DAC and filters are awesome 4. PRE OUT is a great feature for adding a sub, or a seperate amp 5. On that note, it can be an integrated amp, a standalone, or a wonderful preamp The only thing that I would say is it is very simple with less features than some, and it may not be enough power by itself, if your speakers are 4-6 ohm. Easily solved with an external amp if needed. Overall, it is an outstanding product. I love the sound.

I was excited for this amp to come in. It fit the bill for what I needed. Needless to say it wasn't worth the money. 50 watts didn't drive much of anything. Sound wasn't clean. It was just ok. The software to listen to Spotify Connect and Tidal was CRAP. I was really disappointed and promptly returned it. I have since purchased and tried three inexpensive amps that performed tons better. Two Fosi's and a Monolith tube amp. Fosi BT 20A Pro -80 bucks, Fosi A3 120 bucks and Monolith 25 watt tube - 129 bucks. I added a WIIM Pro for 120 bucks for hi res streaming. Settled on the Monolith to drive my Elac UniFi Reference speakers and wow, blew that Audiolab away. 250 bucks compared to 1100 plus for the Audiolab with better results and an awesome sound.

I think the sound quality is good. Whether it's worth the price I'm not 100% sure, since I don't have another amp to compare it to in the same room and with the same speakers. I appreciate the flexibility of its inputs. It has stereo pre-outs if you wanted to use it as a preamp in the future, and also stereo pre-ins if you wanted to use it as a power amp. As well as several digital and analog inputs, including for phonograph. These features could make this amp a long-lasting investment. But while the design looks beautiful and the construction quality is outstanding, that same elegant design isn't so functional. Unlike many other amps, the volume knob is the same size as the other two knobs. So guests and often myself, frequently turn the wrong knob. It's sort of like, "you had one job." The other two knobs adjust the source, and the overall mode of the amplifier (integrated amp, preamp, or power amp). Source is obviously a frequently used feature. But the amplifier mode, although a good feature, should really be buried in a menu since you will only change it when rewiring your whole system. (I guess an exception could be if you use this amp in integrated mode for stereo music, and in power mode as part of a surround sound system for movies. But still.) It is a loose knob that is easily brushed by accident, and then the amplifier becomes non-functional until you realize what happened. There is no physical indication of which mode it's in, and the on-screen indication disappears after a few seconds. The source knob, too, would benefit from being more resistant to accidentally turning it. And would be easier to use if it were separate buttons with a light over each. Conversely, the remote control is very complicated and includes a lot of buttons that have no function at all with this amplifier (they are meant to control other Audiolab products). I didn't realize before purchasing, that this amp has no bass/treble controls whatsoever. I get that these can make the sound less pure, but there could always be a "Defeat" mode to bypass them. Also the balance control, which is buried in the menu (this one would seem to make more sense as a small knob?), only partially adjusts the balance; it doesn't let you turn a speaker off altogether which is occasionally useful. Hopefully this review is helpful to others making a purchasing decision. I'm happy with the amp but it does have these downsides that aren't mentioned in reviews.

Excellent amp very close to quality of my Audio Refinement amp that I purchased 27 years ago and was much more money. Very good value and highly recommended. Product ordered on a Saturday received next day. Really can't go wrong at this price. Nice having a remote control which works wonderfully.

En general el sonido se escucha más controlado, parece un amplificador de mayor potencia por la facilidad con la que mueve mis bocinas. Lo recomiendo ampliamente. Actualización. Sin duda, el amplificador más versátil que he tenido. No importa la sensibilidad de la bocina, es increíble como mejora el sonido de esta, hablando de control y detalle. Muy muy muy buen integrado.

This is what I call a WOW product. I have had this amp for a few months now, and every time I listen to it, it treats me with fantastic HQ sound. First of all, I have had way more stereo setups than the average Joe. Good sound reproduction has always been a passion of mine, even as a teenager, and I'm mid aged now. I guess I like hi-fi as much as the music it plays. Well, this integrated has been quite the surprise, I even though I researched and dug deep to try and find a quality unit that fit all of my needs. I already have a great HT receiver for all my movie watching, but after plugging the Audiolab 6000A to my receiver in Pre-Pwer mode, this 50 Watt per ch. integrated amp sounds much more balanced, muscular, detailed and smooth for movies too. As far as my music goes, well it's not a day and night difference from my receiver, but not far from it. This 6000A is amazing in its sound delivery through my speakers. I truly believe, the better the speakers you have, the more stunning the Audiolab is compared to good quality HT receivers. The key lies in the 60000 uf of capacitance the 6000A has. That puts a death grip of control over all my speakers cones. That's where the muscle comes from. Even at high volumes, it doesn't run out of steam. All that control over the speakers also keeps the dreaded distortion way down, so music stays crystal clear even when the music's cranked up a bit. The included DAC is nothing to sneeze at either. Depending on the source music and vintage, the three DAC filters come into their own. They are definitely a nice option to have and use. When I play well recorded music, usually I use the fast filter so I get every bit of fidelity and soundstaging out of the disc or album . When I play music that's been recorded a little hot, meaning with boosted highs or treble, I use the slow filter to tame those high frequencies. When listening to let's say Oldies like Ricky Nelson or Buddy Holly and such, I usually use the phase filter to tame the very high frequencies and make the music sound much smoother overall, about 80% of a tube amp sound. Listen, I know we've all heard this before, and it does sound corny, but this little amp is the exception. I really am finding myself going thru my collection, and hearing so much detail out of my music that was lost thru a lesser quality amp. The soundstage and imaging qualities are first rate in my opinion, quite large and open with the 6000A. This is especially true since I've bought the matching Audiolab 6000CDT transport. I'm telling you that these two units are a match made in heaven if you demand and enjoy good quality sound out of your system. I will eventually also own their matching streamer. I could really get into a much more detailed review of these two products, but I will end by saying, bravo Audiolab! Bravo!

So far so good. Not impressive amp but good as entry level and also for the money.

Have a Denon AVR. Found music listening a bit lacking. Saw this on sale and ordered. While waiting for delivery also noticed Yamaha RX-A2A Aventage on sale so grabbed it for some head to head testing. The 6000A was a clear winner and will be my music listening go to amplifier. Really impressed by the quality of the sound. Saw a lot of reviews comparing the 6000A to many different amplifiers and lots of good feedback, and they were right in my opinion. Glad I took the chance.